This invention relates generally to devices to mount safety harnesses, and more particularly to an apparatus that releasably attaches to an I-beam from which can be hung a safety harness to provide security to an individual wearing the harness at an elevated work position below the I-beam.
It is not uncommon in the construction and building repair industries, and in other related industries, for individuals to work at elevated work positions, such as, for example during the construction or repair of the upper floors of a multistory building. A number of safety devices are used in such a situation. For example, safety harnesses and retractables are devices that are designed to allow an individual to operate safely at what would otherwise be dangerous or deadly heights without risk of harm. A self-retracting lanyard (retractable) comprises a cable or webbing, known as a lifeline, that is held in the retractable on a reel. When the lifeline is pulled from the retractable at a relatively slow rate, such as when the user is moving about but not falling, the retractable allows the reel to unwind and the lifeline to extend from the retractable. A safety harness can be attached to the end of the lifeline to secure the individual to the retractable.
When an individual is working on a job that has an accessible I-beam, it is often desirable to utilize the I-beam as a mount to support the safety equipment being utilized by the individual. Devices with a hook, D-ring, or other readily usable mount exist that releasably anchor or attach to I-beams for such applications. A variety of devices have been developed for this application. However, concerns have arisen over the release (trigger) mechanisms for such I-beam anchors, including the ergonomics of the release/trigger mechanism and the ease to which the release mechanism may be inadvertently activated to release the anchor from engagement with the I-beam.
It would therefore be desirable to have a releasably attachable I-beam anchor that comprises a protected “quick release” mechanism that allows for the rapid engagement and disengagement of the anchor to the I-beam, in which the mechanism is configured to minimize the chance of accidental or unintentional release.
As will become evident in this disclosure, the present invention provides benefits over the existing art.